DJ Lagway Starting QB Going Forward for Florida Gators

Graham Mertz is out and freshman DJ Lagway is in - the future of the football program has arrived ahead of schedule

The future of the Florida Gators football program is now in that highly awaited role. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Just like that, D.J. Lagway is the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators. Graham Mertz is out with an ACL tear. He will have surgery next week and will miss the remainder of the season. 

The true freshman will be entrusted to take command full-time just six games into his first campaign. He has the full team’s trust behind him. 

“D.J. has this innate ability to rise to the occasion and step up in big moments,” Gators head coach Billy Napier said. “I'm confident he'll do that in this situation.”

Lagway came into Gainesville dubbed the next big thing. In his final year of high school, he won multiple national awards: Named the 2023 National Gatorade Player of the Year, 2023 Bobby Dodd National Back (High School Heisman) of the Year, 2023 MaxPreps Player of the Year, just to name a few. He was ranked the third-best player in the country and the top QB of his class on 247Sports.

He's the future of the program. That future just became the present a little quicker than expected.

Lagway already has experience as a starter in college. He filled in for the Samford game in Week Two when Mertz was out with a concussion. He excelled in that game, completing 18 of 25 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 16 yards on five carries.

However, there are no warm-up games ahead. It’s five straight SEC games ahead of him, followed by the annual Rivalry Week game against Florida State. Four of the SEC opponents are ranked, two are top five and one is the top team in the country (Texas). 

Due to circumstance, he’s being thrown into the fire instead of easing his way while platooning with Mertz. However, that experience should, in theory, make it easier for Lagway to step into the full-time starter role.

“I think he'll be much more prepared having started a game, but also having played in each game this season,” Napier said. “So we'll be a little bit further along because of that investment, and I do think that he will benefit from taking all the first-team reps the entire week...So I think we'll be a little bit further ahead than we maybe would've been if we were just playing one player.”

Against a tough Tennesse team, Lagway completed nine of 17 pass attempts in the game and threw one touchdown pass and one interception. Following Mertz’s injury, Lagway completed six of 12 passes, including one where he connected with Dike in the end zone for a game-tying touchdown. 

While the next opponent in Kentucky sits at 1-3 in SEC play, they are by no means easier competition. First of all, Florida has yet to beat the Wildcats under Bill Napier. There’s that. Second, apart from the blowout loss to South Carolina, Kentucky hasn’t given up more than 20 points this season. Georgia with Carson Beck nor Ole Miss with Jaxson Dart couldn’t do it. 

However, Kentucky scores the fewest points per game this season in the SEC (20.5). Lagway might just need to do good enough this upcoming Saturday as he gets a handle on his roll going forward. Maybe he balls out like did against Samford after all. We’ll find out soon enough. 

Kickoff for the game between Florida and Kentucky on Saturday is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.